What Gets Left Behind After Uninstalling?

It is important to ensure that you properly uninstall your software. An incomplete uninstall can leave behind items that lead to instability and poor performance.September 2012
by Robin Wark

There are times when it makes sense to uninstall software. You don’t need a bunch of programs hogging space and resources when you don’t really need them. However, when you uninstall software, you need to be careful.

You don’t want to uninstall software incorrectly. Also, you want to ensure that everything is gone. If items are left behind in the Windows registry, they can cause problems. This cleanup is the final step in the uninstall process – but it is a very important one. Follow our suggestions below to ensure proper uninstallation.

Make Sure You Have a Backup

If you never use a program or do not like it, you probably won’t want to use it again. However, there might be a case where you use a program once in a while but don’t need it on your machine all of the time. Before uninstalling, make sure you have the disk for it stored in an easy-to-find location or that you can easily download the software from its website.

Use the Control Panel

It is best to uninstall software by using the options in the Windows control panel. Some users believe they are removing programs by deleting the software icon or dragging it to their Recycle Bin. This is not the case!

Use RegCure Pro to check for incomplete uninstallations hiding on your computer: Scan Now

Windows 7

Click the Start menu and then Control Panel.

If you are using Category view, under the Programs heading, click Uninstall a program. If you are using an icon view, click Programs and Features.

Find the program you wish to remove and click Uninstall. You can also right-click on the program and select Uninstall.

Windows XP

Go to the Start menu, click on Control Panel.

Click the Add or Remove Programs icon.

Select the program you wish to remove and click Remove.

Windows Vista

In the Start menu, click on Control Panel.

If using Control Panel Home view, go to Programs and click Uninstall a program. If using Classic view, double-click Programs and Features.

Find the program you want to remove and click Uninstall. You can also right-click on the program and select Uninstall.

After these steps, the uninstallation of most programs proceeds automatically. In some cases, you might be asked to confirm that you wish to uninstall the software or to answer other questions.

Don’t Forget to Clean Up

After the official uninstall process is finished, we suggest that you take time to make sure everything is gone. The quickest way to do this is to use software such as RegCure Pro to scan and clean the Windows registry.

The Windows registry is a large database that stores important information about settings, preferences and digital relationships. When you use your PC, the registry is referred to frequently. It plays a major role in your computer’s performance.

Uninstalling software can leave behind registry entries. This can add to the growing Windows registry. If the registry gets too big, it can become unstable and cause a decrease in your PC’s performance. Also, left behind registry entries can cause confusion.

RegCure Pro can find registry problems and clean them away. This will help ensure performance is not affected after uninstalling software. It is also a good idea to run RegCure Pro is you have noticed a drop in your computer’s speed.

Uninstalling programs can be beneficial for the operation of your computer. It is important to keep the above steps in mind when doing so.

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